Factory quotes have shown that spring lamb is continuing to fetch a base price of €7/kg this week, as the sheep trade has appeared to have firmed up recently.

This is €1/kg more than what was available for lambs a year ago, when factories were paying €6/kg as a base price.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) sheep chair Adrian Gallagher has said that factory agents have been "very active" over the past number of days trying secure number of suitable lambs for slaughter as numbers continue to tighten.

While there have been 440,093 spring lambs slaughtered to-date, this is 81,871 fewer than the number that were killed during the same period last year, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Gallagher also said store lamb sales have started positively but that it is "crucial" factories maintain "strong and fair prices to underpin the trade for the remainder of the year".

There is no factory quoting for hoggets this week, and numbers are remaining low with the most recent sheep kill figures showing that just 747 hoggets were slaughtered during week 31 (ending August 4).

Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €7/kg plus a 20c/kg quality assured (QA) bonus for spring lambs up to 22kg, a total of €7.20/kg.

Other outlets are paying €7.05/kg plus a 15c QA bonus up to 22kg, a total of €7.20/kg 

Kildare Chilling is not quoting for spring lambs today.

Kildare Chilling, for ewes weighing from 35kg to 43kg, is paying €4/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus this week.

The processor is also paying €3.60/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for ewes that are weighing from 23kg to 35kg, while thin ewes will be paid at €3/kg.

Other processors have risen their offerings for cull ewes by 10c/kg and are paying €3.90/kg plus a QA bonus of 10c/kg for ewes weighing over 30kg.

ICM is paying €4/kg for ewes this week.